Kenya has been facing a disturbing surge in abductions, raising serious concerns about human rights and security. Since the anti-government protests in June 2024, at least 82 people have been kidnapped, and 29 are still missing. Some have been found dead, their bodies dumped on the road.
These disappearances appear to follow a similar pattern and target people who have been critical of the government. This article delves into the statistics, the targeted individuals, and the responses from various bodies, including the government and human rights organizations.
Map of Kenya showing districts. Source: Wikipedia
The Plight of Abductees
Bob Njagi, a political activist leading the Free Kenya Movement, cannot forget the screams of his fellow abductees that echoed at night as he sat blindfolded and handcuffed. Njagi was kidnapped from a public bus driving from Nairobi to his hometown in mid-August. He was dragged into a white vehicle by four hooded men, tortured and taken to a building where he remained in a room alone. He was fed just once a day.
Over a month after he was abducted, Njagi was dropped on the side of the road. When he finally took off the blindfold, he had no idea where he was. He claims the drivers had told him they were serving the Kenyan government. Disorientated and barely able to speak, he eventually found his way back home. “I was terrified, my voice was gone, I was so traumatized and shocked,” he told OCCRP. “ I am still integrating myself back to my normal life but it’s not easy.”
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Many Kenyans, including Njagi, believe the numbers of abductees are way higher than reported. “The numbers are total lies. There are many more bodies and many more missing,” Njagi said. “Nobody is safe.”
Rising Abductions and Enforced Disappearances
Kenya’s national human rights commission recorded 82 abductions or enforced disappearances between June and December 2024. Many of the people reported missing after the country’s anti-tax protests later resurfaced, but some have been found dead.
The number of abductions spiked in the wake of widespread protests against the government of President William Ruto. In June 2024, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and the Police Reforms Working Group documented “23 deaths, 34 forcedly disappeared, and 164 arrests” following the protests.
According to the State of National Security annual report Ruto tabled in parliament in November, Kenya had already seen a 44 percent increase in abductions between September 2023 and August 2024, with the country recording 52 abductions compared with 36 during the same period the previous year.
Illustration of kidnapping concept. Source: iStockphoto
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Historical Context
The origins of enforced disappearances and the institutions that facilitate them in Kenya can be traced to British settler colonialism. Kidnapping and detaining political dissidents and pro-independence fighters without trial, and making them disappear, was a political tactic during Britain’s colonisation of Kenya. It was employed effectively to control certain individuals and groups, and enhance the colonial control of land and the people.
Independence in 1963 was supposed to establish a new political dispensation in Kenya: one characterised by the rule of law and institutions capable of guaranteeing accountability in government. However, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings remained a pervasive problem.
Fifteen years ago the country tried to chart a new course with a new constitution. One of its aims was to eliminate enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. Instead, peace and security would be secured through the rule of law, respect for human rights and a reliance on the courts to settle disputes.
Targeted Individuals
The abductions have continued into the new year. On Sunday, Maria Sarungi Tsehai, a prominent Tanzanian journalist and government critic, was kidnapped by three hooded men while leaving a hair salon in Nairobi, where she was living in exile. Several hours later she was released.
In December, at least three people were abducted following the circulation of AI-generated images of Kenyan President William Ruto in a coffin. The same month, Ruto blamed the parents of those kidnapped for not raising their children responsibly.
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Last week, 25 Kenyan legislators called for the creation of an independent commission to look into abductions targeting government critics.
HRW research found that the officers implicated in the abductions originated from agencies of the Kenyan National Police Service, such as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit, and the National Intelligence Service.
Government Response
“We wish to reassure the public that most of the abduction cases that were reported to the Police have been successfully investigated and are now pending before court,” the Kenyan Police said in a press statement later on Sunday. The force affirmed its “steadfast commitment” to ensuring that all abductions cases were investigated and “the culprits brought to book.”
In November 2024, Ruto referred to alleged abductions as “fake news”. By late December, he had changed tune and said he would bring a stop to the abductions of government critics.
On January 15, Justin Muturi, the cabinet secretary for public service, said his son Leslie Muturi was abducted during last year’s antigovernment protests, and claimed his abduction was carried out by the National Intelligence Service (NIS). In a statement made to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Muturi said he went to see President Ruto after his son was taken. Ruto then called the NIS, after which Leslie was released, his statement added.
International and Human Rights Organizations' Concerns
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission) expresses profound alarm over reports of abductions and enforced disappearances in Kenya. The Commission has learned from reports that as many as 29 individuals have been abducted and are feared to have been disappeared since June 2024, triggering expressions of concern on the part of Kenyans over these worrying trends and their chilling effects.
The U.S. State Department has called for "transparent investigations and accountability in the wake of a reported rise in abductions and enforced disappearances." The U.K. ambassador to Kenya has also demanded immediate investigations into recent abductions. On Sunday, the International Criminal Court confirmed it had received over 50,000 petitions from Kenyans accusing Ruto of committing crimes against humanity, including abductions.
Amnesty International Kenya, which has partnered with other rights groups and bodies to provide support and legal representation to more than 1,500 protesters, is also concerned about the “excessive force and violence during protests” as well as the abductions.
“It has led to the downgrading of Kenya’s democracy under the CIVICUS Global Monitor,” he told Al Jazeera, referring to the alliance of civil society organisations tracking civic freedoms.
Recommendations and Way Forward
The African Commission calls upon the Government of Kenya to take the following urgent actions:
- Immediate Investigation and Accountability: Launch thorough, transparent, and impartial investigations into all reported cases of abductions and enforced disappearances. Perpetrators must be identified and held accountable under Kenyan and international law to deter future violations.
- Strengthen Institutional Safeguards: Reinforce the independence and operational capacity of oversight bodies, including the Police Oversight Commission, the judiciary and human rights commissions, to ensure they can effectively prevent and address such cases of abductions and enforced disappearances in compliance with Article 26 of the African Charter.
- Protect Victims and Families: Provide immediate support to the families of abducted and disappeared persons through cooperating with them in opening investigations and availing legal assistance and ensure access to justice and remedies.
- Ensure respect for due process of the law: Following arrest or detention of any person, to ensure that the families and the public are informed about the arrest and detention and that the persons arrested or detained are produced before a court of law promptly.
Human Rights Watch abductions report released this week offers several recommendations for parliamentarians, interior ministry, police leadership, human rights agencies, friends of Kenya and the public. Detailing numerous survivor testimonies, the report demands the disbanding of the multi-agency unit currently responsible for the abductions and arbitrary arrests.
The executive must recognise and respect the courts’ constitutional role to protect the rights of Kenyans. And as the courts have made clear, the government cannot use national security as a justification to violate the fundamental rights of people.
The constitution provides a powerful tool for Kenyans to punish poorly performing politicians. While they can legally and peacefully protest against government impunity, the constitution gives them a much stronger weapon: elections.
Statistics on Abductions and Missing Persons
Douglas Kanja, the Police Inspector General, appeared before the Senate Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security bearing data on the recent spike of kidnappings and abductions. His presence followed the National Assembly’s summons to former Interior Cabinet Secretary.
Thursday’s IG statement cited 42 deaths, 347 injuries, 57 abductions and 1,552 arrests. He denied that any state abductions have taken place, arguing instead that most of the protesters who had claimed they had been unlawfully abducted had gone into hiding to avoid arrest.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights have verified 61 police killings, 73 abductions and missing persons and 1,765 arbitrary arrests of protesters. Many of the dead are under the age of 35 and they died of gun shots to the head, back or other vital organs.
While not perfectly aligned, the numbers are comparable. The IG report appears to have captured all kidnappings and abductions reported to the police. It doesn’t disaggregate or appear to include several known protest related abductions by state agents.
Here is a summary of the statistics:
| Category | Police Inspector General's Report | Kenya National Commission on Human Rights |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths | 42 | 61 (police killings) |
| Injuries | 347 | - |
| Abductions | 57 | 73 (abductions and missing persons) |
| Arrests | 1,552 | 1,765 (arbitrary arrests of protesters) |
A tsunami of videos, CCTV recordings, habeas corpus applications and national and international media stories laced with interviews of survivors and victims’ families reinforce the data that is now available. It has left the nation traumatized.
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If opinions without facts are illogical and statistics without analysis are meaningless, it is also true that facts and analysis without remedy are futile.
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